Garment hanger



April 9, 1966 L. o. WALKER ETAL 3,246,812

GARMENT HANGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1962 vOm m mfla cm m wm w NPT/R EZMNO a w wm .L U u um 00F Z m L. o. WALKER ETAL 3,246,812

GARMENT HANGER April 19, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 16, 1962 INVENTORS 01,465 0. Mike \JO/il? Kaufman,

fl/"Z 7211/ f). Ma fld/Y/ 19 770/? NE Y United States Patent C) 3,246,812 GARMENT HANGER Louis 0. Walker and John Kaufman, New York, N.Y., assignors to seaward-Edison Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 16, 1962,.Ser. No. 195,115 Claims. (Cl. 22387) This invention relates in general to a garment hanger, and more specifically to a garment hanger or support constructed and arranged from a Single blank of foldable sheet material.

Heretofore, garment hangers used by manufacturers, retail outlets, cleaning and pressing establishments, laundries, hotels andthe like generally consisted simply of a wire or wooden hanger having curved shoulder portions interconnected by a cross-bar. The shoulder portions of such conventionally known hangers was generally utilized to support a coat, jacket, blouse, dresses and the like, whereas, the matching skirt, trousers and the like were draped over the cross-bar of the hanger. The difliculty encountered in simply draping trousers or skirts over the crossbar of such hangers was that unless the trouser or skirt was properly balanced there was a tendency for the hanger to tilt. When this occurred, the garment draped over the cross-bar would bunch-up at one end of the hanger. This resulted in excessive wrinkling of the garment supported thereon. A further difiiculty encountered with hangers of this construction was that trousers and skirts, hung over the cross-bar, could be easily slipped off the hanger. For this reason, perspective purchasers of garments so displayed could easily slip the garment off the hanger without care. Therefore, a garment so displayed in mecantile establishments were subjected to unnecessary manhandling by careless prospective customers. This customer manhandling of garments had become an especially disconcerting problem in self-service type retail outlets. Not only would such manhandling of the garments subject them to unnecessary Wear, but frequently the manhandling resulted in the mismatching or'mis-sizing of the trouser or skirt with its complementary blouse or jacket due to the carelessness with which prospective customers would return a garment back to its hanger. Further, it has been experienced, that trousers and skirts supported on a crossbar of a hanger by merely draping the same thereover would in the transport of such garment from a manufacturer to a wholesaler or to a retailer, frequently slip off the hanger unnoticed and thereby be accidentally lost.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide an improvedgarment hanger constructed for positively Supporting a trouser, skirt or the like thereon so that it is retained from bunching or slipping off.

Another object is to provide a hanger which tends to prohibit and discourage the removal of the garment therefrom.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger-constructed andarranged for securely supporting a garment thereon and thus prevent prospective customersfrom manhandling the garment so displayed ina retailEoutlet.

A further'o'bject is to provide a garment hanger construction which enhances the maintenance of the crease or press of the garment supported thereon.

Still. anotherobject'is to provide a hanger construction which willprohibit a prospective purchaser from returning the garment such as skirts and trousers to the hanger in an untidy fashion.

Still another object is to provide aha-nger'Whic-h can be readilyv fabricated .from a single piece of foldable, blank, sheet material.

3,246,812 Patented Apr. 1 9, 1966 A feature of the present invention is a presentation of a large surface on the hanger itself which provides at eye level, when the hanger is hung, an area for the display of the descriptions, sizes or other matter regarding the goods on the hanger or if desired a large surface for the presentation of advertising material.

Another feature of this invention resides in the provision that the garment hanger is relatively inexpensive, can be easily constructed, and is positive in operation.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention are attained by a garment hanger constructed from a blank of foldable, sheet material, as for example, cardboard, paperboard, plastic or any other like foldable sheet material. The garment hanger of this invention comprises essenti-allyof a member which is folded about a crease line to define an angular or accordion-shaped fold, the apex of which is defined by the crease line. An elongated slot is formed in the plane of each side or leg of the angularly folded member, the respective slots being disposed opposite to one another. Integrally connected to and folded" about a fold line coincident with the free edges of the angular member are similarly constructed shoulder portions of the hanger. In operation, the garment, for example a pair of trousers, is supported on the hanger so constructed by draping the trousers at some intermediate point thereof over the apex of the angular member which defines the accordion fold between the shoulder portions of the hanger, and threading the respective free ends of the trousers so hung through the slots formed in the respective planes or sides of the angular oraccordion fold. In one form of the invention, the slots formed in the side of the fold are closed at each end thereof. In another form of the invention the slots are opened at one end thereof to facilitate the positioning of the trousers over the apex of the fold and through the slots formed in the plane of the angular fold. In this form of the invention the sides of the angular fold are retained in folded position by means of a cooperating tongue and slot fastening means. To support either hanger construction from a suitable rack or hanger rod, a hanger hook is formed integrally with the shoulder portions of the respective hangers.

A feature of this invention-resides in the provision of a hanger which can be readily fabricated simply by folding a die cut blank formed of relatively inexpensive material.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent when considered in view of the specification and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an expanded view of a blank of sheet material utilized in forming a hanger construction in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hanger construction illustrated in this partially assembled position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the hanger 1 illustrated inits completely folded position;

FIG. 4'is a sectional'view' taken along lines 44 of FIG. 3 and is illustratedwithout a garment supported thereon;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 4 but illustrating the manner in which a pair of trousers are supported thereon;

FIG. 6 is an expanded View of a modified blank employed for constructing a modified hanger construction;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a hanger constructed from the blank of FIG. 6.

In accordance with this invention there is shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 an improved garment hanger 10 constructed and arranged from a single blank of foldable sheet material 11. The sheet material may comprise for example, paperboard, cardboard, sheet plastic or any other foldable sheet-like material. The foldable, preformed,

die cut blank 11 from which hanger is formed, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a pair of similarly constructed, but oppositely disposed shoulder portions 12 and 13 which are interconnected by a garment supporting web portion 14. The opposed portions or longitudinal side members of the web portion 14 are integrally connected to the base line or edge of the opposed shoulder portions 12 and 13 about fold lines F1 and F2, respectively. Disposed centrally of the web portion 14, and parallel to the fold lines F1 and F2, is an intermediate fold or crease line F3. Each half section or side member 15, 16 of the web 14 thus formed by crease line F3 is provided with an elongated slot 17 and 18, respectively. To facilitate positioning of a garmet 19, as for example, a pair of trousers on the hanger 10, when the blank is in its folded operative. arrangement, one end of each of the slots 17 and 18 is opened. That is, one end of each web section and 16, between the adjacent end of the respective slots 17 and 18 and the outer edge portions of web sections 15 and 16, is split or severed as at and 21.

Integrally connected to the upper edge of each shoulder portions 12 and 13 is the hanger hook 28 and 29, respectively, by which the hanger in the assembled position thereof may be readily suspended from a suitable clothes rod or rack.

As seen in FIGS. 2 to 5 the blank of FIG. 1 can be readily folded into the assembled position by reversibly folding the blank 11 about the medial fold line or crease line F3 of web portion 14 and, thereafter, reversely folding the opposed shoulder portions 12 and 13 relative to the respective half sections 15 and 16 of web 14 about fold lines F1 and F2. Thus, in the folded position of the blank 11 it will be noted that the web portion 14 defines an accordion fold disposed between the opposed shoulder portions 12 and 13 wherein the web portion 14 is :folded inwardly of the hanger so that the fold line F3 defines the apex of the accordion fold. With the blank 11, thus folded to define the hanger of this invention, a pair of trousers or skirt 19 or the like can be readily supported and retained thereon by simply draping the trouser 19 over the apex of the fold and disposing the o-pposed free ends 19a or 1% of the trousers, as seen in FIG. 5, through the openings or slots 17 or 18 formed in the plane of the respective half sections 15 and 16 of the web portion 14. This may be attained by the insertion of the cuff ends through one slot, that is 17, and leading the same over the apex F3 and then down through the other slot, that is 18; or the slits 20 and 21 opening the respective slots 17 and 18 at one end thereof may be used t greatly facilitate the positioning of the free ends of the trousers 19a and 19b into respective slots 17 and 18. This has been readily apparent in FIG. 1 where it will be noted that the trousers may be positioned in slots 17 and 18 simply by sliding the same through the slits 20 and 21.

To secure the opposed shoulder portions 12 and 13 together and to prevent separation or the unfolding or spreading of the hanger 10 in the folded position thereof,

a tongue and slot fastening means is provided. As shown, flaps 22 and 23 are integrally connected about their respective fold lines F4, F5, to the opposed ends of one of the shoulder portions, as for example, shoulder 13. The ends of the respective flaps 22 and 23 terminate in a tongue extension 24 and 25, respectively. Adapted to cooperate with the tongue extensions 24 and 25 of the respective flaps 22 and 23 and to receive the tongue extensions in the folded position of the hanger, cooperating slots 26 and 27 are formed in the other shoulder portion 12. Thus, in the assembled position of the hanger the respective flaps 22 and 23 are reversely folded about fold lines F4, F5 and F6, F7 so that in the folded position flaps 22 and 23 and the tongue extensions thereof 24 and 25 overlap the other shoulder portion 12. When in this position the tongue extensions 24 and 25 minimized by the instant hanger construction.

4 can be readily inserted into its respective cooperating slits 26 and 27 as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the tongue and slot firmly connect theopposed shoulder end portions 12 and 13 in the folded positions of blank 11. In the folded position of blank v11 it will be readily noted that a pair of trousers 19 supported thereon is securely positioned and retained therein. The draping of the trousers 19 over the apex of the fold 14 and the threading of the opposed free ends 19a and 19b thereof through the respective slots 17 and 18 function to frictionally and positively retain the trousers 19 in position thereon. Therefore, the friction-a1 retention of the trousers resulting from the specific construction of the hanger and the drape of the trousers thereover is sufficient to positively retain the trousers thereon. The frictional retention of the trousers thus retards or prevents the trousers and the like from slipping off the hanger regardless of any unbalance, or uneven distribution of the weight of the garment support-ed thereon. Further, the garment is retained on the hanger so that the garment will not bunch at one end when tilted. With the instant hanger construction wrinkling of the garment as is now possible wit-h conventional crossabar type hangers is prohibited.

Also, when hanger 10 of this invention, is utilized in retail outlets a perspective purchaser is forced, due to the specific construction of the hanger, to exercise care in both removing and replacing the garment on the hanger. As a result, the care required to remove or restore the garment to the hanger tends to eliminate excessive manhandling of a garment. For this reason the garment so displayed maintains its saleable appearance over a longer period of time. Thus, waste and loss of sales, due to untidy appearances of the garments heretofore encountered with conventional hangers, is greatly Therefore, hanger constructions in accordance with this invention can be utilized to render the articles supported thereon more appealable for sale. 1

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrates a modified form of the invention. In this form of the invention hanger 30 is constructed from a single foldable blank 31 of sheet material constructed and arranged as shown in FIG. 6. Blank 31 is identical with blank 11 of FIG. 1 with the exception that the slots 32 and 33 are not opened by a slit 20 and 21 as in the blank of FIG. 1. For this reason, the tongue flaps 22 and 23 and cooperating slits 26 and 27 of FIG. 1 are not required in the hanger modification of FIGS. 6 and 7. As shown, in FIG. 7 the blank 31 of FIG. 6 is readily folded into its operative hanger position by reversely folding the web portion 34 thereof about a medial fold line F10. The opposed shoulder portions 35 and '36 are then reversely folded about their respective fold lines F11 and F12 as shown in FIG. 7 so that the interconnecting web defines therebetween an accordion type fold. Thus, the slots 32 and 33 in each half section 37 and 38 of the interconnecting web portion 34 are disposed opposite one another as hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. Further, as described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the -garment, as forexample trousers, are positioned onto the hanger 30 of FIGS. 6 and 7 by folding the trousers at an intermediate point'over the apex of the fold defined by the web 34, and then by slipping the cuff end of the trousers through a slot formed in one of the web half sections. With the trousers so positioned, the fold of the trousers over the apex of the web portion through the slots 32 and 33 will serve to hold or to prevent the hanger of FIGS. 6, 7 from spreading or folding. Hook portions 39 and 40 connected to the shoulder portions 35 and 36 are provided to permit suspension of the hanger 30 from a given support as hereinbefore described. Thus, in either form of the invention it will be apparent that a garment is supported on the respec tive hangers in a manner so as to be frictionally retained thereon. As a consequence, slipping or accidental removal of the garment from the hanger or 30 is all but eliminated.

If desired the proportions of the shoulder portions and the hook portions of the respective hangers may be sized so as to permit advertising copy to be imprinted thereon. It will be further apparent that the hanger constructions of the instant invention are relatively simple, and can be readily fabricated with a minimum of ease. The material from which the hangers are formed is relatively inexpensive, and the respective die-cut blank can be readily folded to form the hanger with a minimum of folds.

While the instant invention has been disclosed with reference to the several embodiments thereof, it is to be appreciated that the invention is not to be taken as lim' ited to all the details thereof as modifications and variations thereof may be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

We claim:

1. A garment hanger formed of foldable blank sheet material comprising a garment support including a pair of opposed shoulder portions, a web portion having angularly disposed side members interconnected along their adjacent edges to define the apex of an angular fold, said angular fold being connected between said shoulder portions to extend inwardly therebetween, each of said side members having an elongated slot formed wholly therein, said slots being adapted to have threaded therethrough a garment for draping same over the apex of said fold, and said shoulder portion including means for suspending said angular fold from a suitable support.

2. A garment hanger formed from a blank of foldable sheet material comprising a garment support; said support including a pair of outer portions; an accordion fold having opposed reversely folded portions connected to said outer portions; a crease line defining the apex of said fold which extends inwardly between said outer portions, each of said portions having an elongated slot wholly defined in the respective planes of said portions through which the ends of the garment are threaded for draping the same over the apex of said fold, and means integrally connected with said accordion fold for suspending said garment support from a suitable support.

'3. A garment hanger comprising a blank sheeting material including a garment support including a pair of angularly disposed members integrally connected along an edge portion thereof; said connected edge portion thereof defining the apex of the angle formed thereby; each member having an elongated slot wholly formed in the plane thereof; each of said slots being adaptable for having threaded therethrough an end portion of a garment adapted to be folded over the apex of said support, and means connected to said support for hanging the same, said latter means including a pair of reversely folded shoulder portions which are formed integral with and connected along the other edges of each of said members said shoulder portions confining said angular disposed portions therebetweeri.

4. A garment hanger formed from a blank of foldable sheet material comprising opposed shoulder support portions, supporting means for supporting a garment integrally connected between the shoulder support portions; supporting means for supporting a garment ining a crease line extending longitudinally thereof, said crease line being disposed in spaced parallel relationship to said spaced foldlines and about which said supporting means is reversely folded to define an accordion fold extending inwardly between said shoulder supporting portions, said crease defining the apex of the accordion fold, and the opposed portions of said accordion fold having elongated slots formed wholly therein; said slots being adaptable for having threaded therethrough the free ends of garment draped over the apex of the fold, and means connected to said shoulder support portions for suspending the same.

5. A garment hanger formed from a single blank of portions having a base line extending along one edge thereof, and a hanger hook connected along the upper ed-geof each said shoulder portions, a garment support web portioninterconnected between said shoulder portions, said garment support web portion being integrally connected to and between the base lines of the respective shoulder portions, said garment support web portion having a crease line extending longitudinally thereof midway therebetween and parallel to the base line of said shoulder portions, and about which said support web portion is reversely folded inwardly to define between said opposed shoulder portions an inwardly extending accordion fold having opposed side portions, said crease line defining the apex of said fold, and each side portion of said fold having an elongated slot formed in the plane thereof through which the free portion of a garment folded over the apex of said fold is threaded.

'6. A garment hanger formed from a single blank of foldable sheet material comprising a pair of opposed similarly constructed shoulder portions, each of said shoulder portions having a base edge and an upper edge; means for suspending said hanger connected to the upper edge of the respective shoulder portions, a garment supporting web portion integrally connected to and between the opposed base edges of the respective shoulder portions, each of said shoulder portions being reversely folded relatively to said web portion about a fold line coincident to the base edge thereof, said web portion having a fold line extending longitudinally thereof and disposed midway between the fold lines connecting said web portion with said shoulder portions, said web portion being reversely folded about said web portion fold line to define an inwardly extending accordion fold disposed between the pair of shoulder portions, said web portion fold line defining the apex of said accordion fold, said accordion fold having opposed side portions each formed with an elongated slot therein adaptable for having threaded therethrough the free end of a garment draped over the apex of said accordion fold, an end flap integrally connected to the end of one of said shoulder portions, said flap folded about the end portion of the other shoulder portion in overlapping position therewith and said other shoulder portion having a slot therein for receiving the end of said flap for positively securing the opposed shoulder portions in folded position of the blank.

7. A garment hanger formed from a single blank of foldable sheet material comprising a pair of opposed similarly constructed shoulder portions, each of said shoulder portions having a base edge and an upper edge, a hook means for suspending said hanger connected to the upper edge of the respective shoulder portions; a garment supporting web integrally connected to and between the opposed base edges of the respective shoulder portions; each of said shoulder portions being folded relatively to said web portion about a fold line coincident to the base edges thereof; said web portion having a crease line extending longitudinally thereof and disposed midway between the fold lines connecting said web portions with said shoulder portions; said web being reversely folded about said crease line to define an inwardly extending accordion fold disposed between the pair of shoulder portions, said crease defining the apex of said accordion fold; said accordion fold having opposed side portions each having an elongated slot therein adaptable for having threaded therethrough the free ends of a garment draped over the apex of said accordion fold.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7, wherein the slots formed in the side portions of the fold are closed at each end thereof.

9. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein the slots formed in the side portions of the fold are open by slits at one end thereof.

10. A garment hanger formed from a single blank of foldable sheet material comprising a pair of opposed similarly constructed shoulder portions, each of said shoulder portions having a base edge and an upper edge, a hook for suspending said hanger connected to the upper edge of the respective shoulder portions; a garment supporting web portion integrally connected to and between the opposed base edges of the respective shoulder portions;

pair of shoulder portions, said crease defining the apex of said accordion fold, said accordion fold having opposed side portions each formed with an elongated slot therein and adaptable for having threaded therethrough the free end of a garment draped over the apex of said accordion fold, an end flap integrally connected to each end of one of said shoulder portions, said flap terminating in an extending tongue portion, said flap being folded about the end of said accordion fold in overlapping position with respect to the adjacent end of said other shoulder portion, said other shoulder portion having a slot therein for receiving the tongue end of said flap for positively securing the opposed shoulder portions together.

- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,510,915 10/1924 Bartholdi '223'87 2,349,200 5/1944 Ringler 22387 2,617,565 11/1952 Suydam 22387 2,769,586 11/1956 Lee 22395 2,875,931 3/1959 Montelcone et al. 22390 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS J. HICKEY, ROBERT V. SLOAN, Examiners. 

1. A GARMENT HANGER FORMED OF FOLDABLE BLANK SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING A GARMENT SUPPORT INCLUDING A PAIR OF OPPOSED SHOULDER PORTIONS, A WEB PORTION HAVING ANGULARLY DISPOSED SIDE MEMBERS INTERCONNECTED ALONG THEIR ADJACENT EDGES TO DEFINE THE APEX OF AN ANGULAR FOLD, SAID ANGULAR FOLD BEING CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID SHOULDER PORTIONS TO EXTEND INWARDLY THEREBETWEEN, EACH OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT FORMED WHOLLY THEREIN, SAID SLOTS BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE THREADED THERETHROUGH A GARMENT FOR DRAPING SAME OVER THE APEX OF SAID FOLD, AND SAID SHOULDER PORTION INCLUDING MEANS FOR SUSPENDING SAID ANGULAR FOLD FROM A SUITABLE SUPPORT. 